Hail's Beginning
by blink1899
Summary: Tired of the lifestyle her father's mistakes have forced upon her, Hayley heads to the city hoping to leave behind her past and finally take control of her future. Having no plan and little money, this proves to be harder than she thought.
1. Chapter 1

Hayley awoke to the sound of a heated argument. With a groan she pushed herself to an upright position to reluctantly face the day. Looking around her dim room she saw that her brothers and sister had been roused by their parents' voices as well. Make that _half_-brothers and sister.

Her mother had died when Hayley was only three, too young to truly feel any loss. Plus, her father had quickly filled the void with a new, and younger, wife to serve as mother. Although this new woman, Isabella, gave Hayley three little half-siblings, she never gave any love. Isabella had married her father mainly for glory, not to embrace his family. Hayley was sure she regretted that decision now.

Hayley's father had been of the upper crust, and a skilled politician to boot. He went on to be elected mayor of Hoboken and would remain such for the next nine years. Almost a year prior to this day that Hayley sat up, awakened by the yelling, scandal had surrounded her father, and lost him his office and the lifestyle he was accustomed to. To cope with his loss, he hit the bottle. Hard.

Hardly anyone would hire this fallen politician, and on the rare occasion he found a job, he never managed to hold employment long. It wasn't unusual for him to come home drunk; all of the barkeeps in the area knew him well and depended on him for much of their business. Isabella's enraged voice brought Hayley back to the present; it sounded as if her father lost yet another job.

Hayley crawled over her younger sister, Beth, and out of the bed they were forced to share. Her brothers had already abandoned their makeshift cots on the floor to see if breakfast had been prepared. Hayley never looked forward to breakfast, or any meal for that matter, now that Isabella was making them. Having grown up in a privileged family, Isabella never had to learn to do much with her hands, including cook. But now she was thrust abruptly into this life of poverty and forced to learn quickly. Isabella was miserable now that she was forced to live in a cramped tenement and help support her family by doing laundry for a wealthier couple, a daily reminder of what her life once was. Hayley got the brunt of her stepmother's rage at being the laughingstock of town.

Hayley did not mind working to help the family, but she could not stand the conditions of the textile factory where she was employed. Dirty, loud, and dangerous, the factory put her constantly in harm's way, but it was the only large industry around that would hire her. Her brothers worked as stablehands for the same couple as Isabella. They managed to scrape by a living, but barely so.

Ignoring the foul-smelling porridge Isabella had concocted, Hayley opted for a stale piece of bread instead. She rummaged around what could barely be called a kitchen and managed to find a hunk of cheese as well. Hayley only stopped to splash some water on her face before stepping over her father, passed out near the door, and heading out to work.


	2. Chapter 2

Hayley shivered as she walked home from work, partially because of the autumn chill in the air, but mostly from what she had seen in the factory. There had been an accident. This was not uncommon where she worked, but Hayley had never actually been witness to one. The boy who always worked next to her, Paul was his name. She didn't know him well, but he had always been so polite. And he was young, much too young to have wasted his life in that factory only to get meager pay…and to be caught in that machine. Oh God, she could still hear his screams…

…the whistle of a passing freight train jolted her out of this tragic memory. Hayley stopped walking and looked around to gain her bearings. She had been following the railroad tracks that ran near the tenements, but rather than stopping when she reached her neighborhood she had kept walking along in a haze. She turned around, determined to actually make it home this time.

Hayley did indeed make it to her apartment building on the second attempt and slowly began to realize how much trouble she was about to get in as she climbed the stairs to the third floor. It was still early in the afternoon, she usually didn't return home until well into the evening. Hayley had just walked out of the factory after the accident, she could not bear to stick around after what had happened to poor Paul.

"What the hell are you doing home?" Hayley's father demanded as she walked through the door. She ignored him, instead heading towards the washroom. Looking in the cracked mirror, she barely recognized herself. Her face was white as a ghost and she noticed a few drops of blood spattered across her temple and her dress. Hayley scrubbed her face and softly shed a tear for Paul.


	3. Chapter 3

Hayley shut herself in her room for the rest of the day, refusing to speak to her father. She felt unclean in her stained dress so she changed into to some of her brothers' clothes, the only extra garments her family owned.

She came out for dinner when the rest of her family came home, only because she was starving. Hayley somberly explained what happened that day over watered-down vegetable soup.

"Well you're just going to have to march back there tomorrow and get your job back," Isabella instructed. "Apologize. I'm sure we can pull a few strings and get you back to work."

"I am _not_ going back there," Hayley said sullenly. Isabella's eyes narrowed.

"As long as you provide an extra mouth to feed in this household, you will work at that factory," Isabella said. "We all have to work. You can't be the exception and just sit on your sorry ass all day long."

"Why not? That's all my dad does everyday," Hayley snapped.

"Hold your tongue!" Isabella lashed out. "I will not be disrespected in my own house, if you can call it one, and I will definitely not be disrespected by the likes of _you_. No, you will go straight back to that factory first thing in the morning and not give up employment like your father. Besides, look where _that_ has gotten him." As Isabella sneered at what she considered a poor excuse for a husband, Hayley promptly left the table to return to her room. She snapped her door shut as her parents' voices escalated into a continuation of that morning's argument.

Later that evening, Hayley lay awake staring into the darkness. Her siblings were asleep around her, emitting only the occasional snore. Her father had stormed out of the apartment hours earlier, no doubt to get drunk, and Isabella had retreated to her room in a huff. Hayley couldn't sleep, dreading the morrow when she would have to return to that horrible deathtrap. She would continue to waste away her life, day in and day out as Paul had, but for what? Maybe she would marry down the road, but to what effect? She would probably still live in the tenements, making very little money in a job she hated. This whole town was stifling, and this job would prevent her from ever changing her future—unless she didn't have to keep that job…

No, what was she thinking! Of course she had to keep that job. There was no other employment for her, and Isabella had made it clear that Hayley would not live under that roof _and_ be unemployed. Unless she didn't have to live under that roof…

Hayley sat up in the dark, her mind racing. What was stopping her from leaving anyway? She held no love for her family, and she was sure they felt the same. Her absence would mean one less mouth to feed, and her sister would be able to have their creaky bed all to herself. Would Isabella try to stop her? Possibly. She _was_ a source of income for the family, but maybe this could motivate her father to finally hold a job. And there was no way she could ever go to that factory ever again. Yes, she had to leave.

Hayley sprang out of bed, an impromptu plan forming in her mind. She would go to New York. She had always heard such wonderful things about that city across the Hudson, it sounded like it was simply brimming with opportunity. Hayley tore the case off of her pillow and proceeded to throw her few belongings into it as well as a small tin of coins she had saved. Not enough for train fare, but she could find another way. She opted for her brothers' clothes again over her dress; perhaps it would be safer to journey not dressed blatantly as a girl. Taking one last look around, she silently crept out of her house.

Now what to do? Hayley generally did not make such rash decisions; rather she thought things through without being hasty. She was by no means a risk taker and was fairly reserved, but this time she had to act.

She began walking parallel to the railroad tracks, passing the station as she had done that afternoon, when and idea hit her. She could take the train into New York. She couldn't do it by lawful means, unfortunately, but there had to be an unattended freight car somewhere. Living so close to the tracks, Hayley had soon memorized its schedule and she was pretty sure there was a train to the city in layover from Philadelphia that was to leave around midnight. She soon came upon it and heard the voices of various workers milling about. Spying a freight car near the loading dock with its door ajar, she made a mad dash towards it, praying no one would see her.

Once there, she tossed her makeshift bag through the door and hoisted herself up into the car. Retreating to the far corner, she stepped upon something soft and stumbled into the wall of the car with a thud.

"OW, dammit!" hissed the thing she had tripped over.

"Hey, what—" Hayley started to say before a hand smothered her voice and dragged her down.

"What? Are you _trying_ to get us caught!" the person who grabbed her whispered and shoved her into the darkest recesses of the car, behind crates of cargo. Moments later the glow of a lantern shone into the car, but Hayley and her captor were obscured in the shadows. Not finding anything out of the ordinary, the station worker moved on, content with his search, and the light soon vanished. As she felt her attacker breath a sigh of relief, Hayley calmed down as well but then realized she was still being held in this stranger's arms. Refusing to be manhandled, Hayley pushed him away and dusted herself off. Surprised, he fell backwards, losing his cap to reveal…long, flowing hair? In the dim moonlight streaming through the still-open door, Hayley realized that he was really a she.


	4. Chapter 4

Hayley gasped at the realization she was in the company of another female, but it was drowned out by a sharp blast of the train's whistle. The next moment the freight train lurched forward, causing Hayley to tumble into the side of the car once more. She wondered just how many bruises she might have before she made it to New York. The train quickly gained momentum, and then settled into a steady pace. Feeling it was finally safe to speak, the girl apologized to Hayley.

"Sorry if I startled you there," she said, seating herself next to Hayley. "But I didn't come all the way from Philly just to get caught."

"You came from Philadelphia? What are you doing all the way out here?" Hayley asked.

"Running away," she replied nonchalantly. "And from the looks of it, so are you."

"Why are you running away?"

"I don't believe we've been properly introduced," the girl said, somewhat evasively. "I'm Melody"

"I'm Hayley," she said, and Melody gruffly shook her hand.

"Where you headed, Hayley?" inquired Melody.

"Probably New York City. I don't know; I haven't really planned this out too well," Hayley started to worry about what she was going to do once she got off of the train.

"I'm headed for Manhattan myself," Melody told her. "You can stick with me; I could use the company." Hayley wasn't sure if she really wanted to stick with this girl, but she nodded her head in agreement anyway.

As the train sped on to their destination, Hayley and Melody got better acquainted and realized they had much in common. They were both the same age (16), both were wearing "borrowed" clothes from their brothers, thinking it was safer to travel as a male, and neither had any idea what they would do once they reached the city. Frigid air blew through the slats of the freight car, and Hayley hoped they would be able to find shelter—it would be miserable to sleep outside tonight…

"Hayl! Hayley! Get up!" Hayley felt Melody shaking her awake and realized she had dozed off. She also realized the train had stopped.

"What time is it?" Hayley asked, observing that it was still dark outside.

"Near morning," Melody was scrambling to gather all of their belongings together. "But we're here. We have to go NOW."

Hayley heard the patter of rain begin to fall against the car. Together, the girls slowly maneuvered the door of the freight car open. They saw no one around, so they hopped out and tried to find a way to pass the stationmaster unseen.

"HEY! What're you boys doing there?" Hayley looked up to see a large man in uniform coming towards them. Melody grabbed her arm and the two girls made a break for the exit. They ran as hard as they could, ignoring the yells of the station workers.

"Don't look back," Melody warned, but Hayley snuck a peek over her shoulder anyway. They were still being pursued. The rain had frozen and stung against the girls' faces as they forced their bodies to run faster still.

Unlike her counterpart, Hayley was not very athletic. She felt herself tiring, but Melody dragged her along, block after block. Few people were out on the dark streets to intercept them, but they could still hear the officer's footsteps behind them. The hail falling from the sky gradually grew in until pea-sized droplets rained down on them. Melody unexpectedly darted off the main road and down the smaller streets as Hayley did her best to keep up.

"Mel, I can't go much further," Hayley pleaded.

"There!" her friend skidded to a stop on the wet pavement in front of a doorway. A sign read "Newsboys Lodging House." Hayley prayed it would be open.


	5. Chapter 5

The two girls threw themselves at the door, only to find it locked. Hayley swore as she tried to force it open, but she could barely grip the handle that was slick from the storm. Melody pounded her fists on the door and shouted out in desperation until she could hear the locks being undone from within. The door swung inward to reveal a wizened old man, apparently surprised by these late night visitors.

"Please sir, you have to hide us," Hayley pleaded. The man looked unsure for a moment, but then nodded and allowed the frightened girls to enter. He had barely shut the door behind them when yet another person began knocking. The elderly man ushered Hayley and Melody behind a long desk before answering.

"Yes, what is it?" he asked, exasperated.

"I'm searching for two stowaways," the officer explained. "They ran down this way, have you seen them?"

"You mean those two girls? Yes, I've seen them," the man admitted. Hayley heard Mel's sharp intake of breath next to her; she had hoped the man wouldn't give them up. "They came bangin' on my door, causin' a nuisance, much like you. I sent them on their way of course. D'you really think I'd let in some nuts off the street!" Hayley relaxed; this man could be trusted.

"Thank you sir," grumbled the officer. "Sorry to trouble you." And with that, he left.

"Alright, you girls can come out," the man said, as Hayley and Melody peered over the top of the desk.

"We can't thank you enough!" said Hayley, rising to her feet.

"Yeah, but we better be going," Melody headed towards the door.

"Not so fast," the man put out an arm to stop them. "After all that, you at least have to explain what that was all about."

Melody opened her mouth to speak, but before she could say a thing, a mass of groggy-looking boys wandered down a flight of steps across the lobby.

"Kloppman, what the hell is going on down here?" demanded a tall boy with brown hair.

"Easy Cowboy, I'm still figuring that out myself," replied the man, whose name was apparently Kloppman. All eyes turned and focused on the girls.

"Hayl, you wanna take this one?" asked Melody.

"Actually I was hoping you'd talk," she whispered back.

"So your name's Hail? Like this stuff?" Kloppman brushed the ice from her hair. "You must be freezing. I'll find you girls some blankets."

"Um, actually it's Hayley," she said as he wandered off.

"Too long—we'll stick with Hail," the boy named Cowboy grinned. Hayley started to protest, but her friend cut in.

"Sorry to wake you boys up, but the cops were on our tail," Melody explained.

"And what's _your_ name toots?" piped up a short Italian.

"Melody," she shot the boy a glare, practically daring him to try and change it.

"Well as _thrilling_ as this all is, I'm going back to bed," declared a gangly boy with a crutch. As he limped back up the stairs, the other boys followed suit, yawning as they went. It was too early to be interested in anything.

"So where're you girls headed?" Kloppman asked and tossed the woolen blankets he had found to them.

"Um…" Hayley realized she had no idea. She looked to Melody for support, but her friend only shrugged. The man named Kloppman chuckled softly and shook his head.

"You girls can stay here for the night, and we'll get you on your way in the morning," he offered. The girls were too weary to argue, so they followed as he led them up the same stairs the boys had gone up. They soon found themselves in a large room, filled with rows of bunks. "There's empty beds in the far corner. Washroom's just past there, to the right. I'm going back to sleep." Kloppman proceeded back down the way he came, leaving the girls alone.


	6. Chapter 6

Without a word, Melody strode across the room to the set of bunks the man named Kloppman had pointed out. She tossed her belongings down, claiming the lower bunk, and proceeded to search for her nightshirt. Once she succeeded in finding it, Melody doubled back to head for the washroom, presumably to change. Hayley had not yet budged from the spot where Kloppman had left her, and instead was peering around in the darkened room at the strange, now-sleeping boys. This was not what she had expected at all.

Although she had grown up with brothers, that experience had in no way prepared her for rooming with twenty or so young men she had never met. Hayley started when Mel brushed past her and walked nonchalantly back to her bed, now in her nightclothes. Shivering, Hayley realized she needed to get out of her soaked attire, and ducked in to the washroom to reluctantly change into her bloodied frock once more. She then uneasily made her way to the back of the bunk room, treading quietly as to not wake the boys again.

She pulled off her shoes and set them, and her pillowcase of items, carefully at the foot of the bed. Melody had already passed out in the bottom bunk, so Hayley climbed to the one above her, praying she wouldn't fall, and tried to settle in for what was left of the night. Hayley pulled the blankets up protectively around herself and stared out across the room at the many new faces. As sleep took hold of her, Hayley's apprehensions were pushed from her mind and she let herself be carried away into unconsciousness.

Scarcely a few hours had gone by before the sound of many voices pervaded her sleep. Hayley tried to block them out with all her might and pulled the covers over her head, attempting to snatch just a few more minutes of shut eye. The noise did not cease and the dawn's new light assaulted her eyes through the thin blankets. Conceding defeat, Hayley threw back the covers and opened her eyes…then immediately wished she hadn't. All of the guys she had seen the previous night were now milling about the room, preparing to go to work, many lacking clothes.

"Morning sunshine," a tall boy teased as he walked past her bed, laughing at her obvious discomfort.

"Ahh Snods, put some pants on ya scabber," a boy with an eyepatch chided him.

"Yeah you're in the presence of a lady," Melody said as she leaned against the bunk bed, brushing her hair. Hayley noticed she was already fully dressed.

"I woke up early," Mel said in response to Hayley's confused look. The boys continued to get dressed, glancing back at the girls every so often and Hayley determinedly avoided their eyes, waiting for them to leave.

"See you gals later," the short Italian grinned as the guys finally filed out.

"I wouldn't bet on it," Melody gave him a withering look; she had planned only on seeking refuge at this lodging house, then leaving.

"Careful, Race'll bet on anything," warned one of the nicer –looking newsies on the way out.

Once they were gone, Hayley dressed and followed Melody downstairs. Kloppman sat, reviewing paperwork, behind the long desk that had hidden the girls the night before.

"We just wanted to thank you for what you did before we headed out," Melody said, crossing over to him.

"Yeah you really got us out of a tight spot there," Hayley agreed. "I just wish there was some way we could repay you."

"Well, now that you mention it…" Kloppman trailed off.


	7. Chapter 7

"I just really wish there was some way we could repay you!" Melody angrily mimicked Hayley. Kloppman had unexpectedly taken the girls up on her offer. In return for the previous night's shelter they only had to do him one small favor—clean out the boys' washroom. Hayley and Mel looked out across the rows of stalls and sinks that appeared to have not been washed in the last decade.

"I was referring to money, not this!" Hayley said, apologetically. Melody only glared as Hayley began to fill a pail with soapy water.

"This is going to take forever…" Mel grumbled.

"Here, I hope these'll work," Kloppman had followed them up with a mop and scrub brush. He set the cleaning tools down and leaned against the sinks, watching the girls begin their daunting task. "Decide where yer going yet?"

"No," Mel said bluntly.

"I'm sure we'll find somewhere," Hail said, looking up from scrubbing the floor. "We'll go out and search for employment this afternoon. It shouldn't be too hard."

"What's with all this 'we' stuff?" Melody asked, wiping down the windows. "I never said I'm stickin' with you."

"Sounds like you have it all planned out," Kloppman smirked, much to Hayley's annoyance. "How are you going to pay for lodging anywhere? Cleaning out _their_ washrooms? And who's going to hire a pair of homeless girls? And what qualifications do you have to get a job?"

"Woah, woah, what's the deal with all the questions?" Melody asked.

"Yeah unless you have a better plan for us, you really aren't helping," Hayley chimed in. Kloppman gave them another little grin, and then went downstairs without a word.

"What was that?" Hayley was confused. "He wasn't seriously implying that we…?"

"Be newsies?" Melody finished her thought. "No. It's ridiculous."

"Is it really? As of now, that looks like my best option," Hayley shrugged.

"We are not becoming newsies; there's gotta be something better," Melody said.

"What's with all the 'we' stuff?" Hayley asked sarcastically, effectively silencing her companion. They continued to work quietly, yet diligently, and had the room spotless in a matter of hours. Stiff from bending over, the girls walked back downstairs to tell Kloppman they were done.

"Excellent, excellent," he said, taking a peek inside the newly cleaned washroom. "Great job. Well, you girls are free to go now; I won't keep you any longer."

"Actually…" Melody interjected, getting the old man's attention. "I wondered if there was room for me to become a newsie. I figuring it's the best I can do until I get back on my feet."

Kloppman nodded in agreement.

"You in Hayl?" Melody turned to her.

After a moment, Hayley agreed, "Yes, but it's Hayl-ey."

"Yeah ok Hayl," Mel ignored that, but Hayley grinned in spite of herself.

"Alright girls, when the boys get home I can introduce you and they can show you the ropes," Kloppman explained. "Until then, relax—you've earned it."

The girls didn't need to be told twice. They collapsed into bed again, stretching out their sore muscles and catching up on the sleep they had lately been deprived of.


	8. Chapter 8

Hayley awoke feeling more refreshed than she had in weeks. She looked around the room and saw that Melody had once again woken up before her. The other girl was just coming out of the washroom, toweling off her wet hair.

"I figured this was the only time I'd have that bath to myself, so I took advantage of it," Melody said. "There's probably time before the boys get back if you wanna wash up."

Hayley noticed the sky outside the window was streaked with pink. Once the sun set, the boys probably _would_ be home, like Mel said. Hayley nodded and climbed out of bed.

"Don't worry," Melody grinned. "I'll make sure no one comes in."

Melody was true to her word, and Hayley was able to enjoy her fairly cold, brief bath. She finally felt cleansed of the tragedy she had witnessed the day before. Hayley couldn't believe that hardly 24 hours had elapsed since she left her home in Hoboken--so much had happened since then. As she was slipping back into her brother's clothes, Melody called out that she heard the boys coming into the lobby. Hayley quickly wiped the floor of any water she had spilled then joined Melody in the adjoining bunkroom.

"Well, well, well, look who's still here. It's a good thing I didn't put a wager on that bet this morning," the short Italian was back. "Have you ladies decided to stick with the newsies?"

"For the time being," Mel replied.

"Yeah I just talked to Kloppman," the tall brown-haired boy addressed them. "He says I'll be showing you the ropes tomorrow."

"Ya learn from Jack, ya learn from the best," the kid with the crutch chimed in and several of the boys nodded.

"Well it looks like most of the boys are home, so we'll introduce you all. Hey listen fellas!" Jack yelled out. Everyone went silent and turned their attention to him. "This here's Melody and Hail. They's gonna be newsies--"

"Actually it's Hayley," she spoke up.

"Ah but ya descended on us in that lovely hail storm last night," Jack said sarcastically. "'Sides most everyone has a nickname here. I'm Cowboy and they's Racetrack, Mush, Kid Blink, Crutchy, Boots…" Jack proceeded to list everyone in the room. Hayley tried to remember them all, but she guessed it would take awhile before she got them all down.

"So what brings you girls here?" inquired one boy. Hayley was fairly sure he was called Bumlets, whatever that was supposed to mean.

"I ran away from my family, well mostly just my father. He's a cop so he-" Melody's last statement caused a mild uproar.

"Woah, now wait a minute," a tall kid named Skittery jumped up. "Yer pop's a bull! He ain't comin' around here is he?"

"No, we lived in Philadelphia. He wouldn't come all the way up here for me. Anyway, he demanded so much control over the household that I basically had no freedom, and that just wasn't right for me," Mel finished up her story.

"How 'bout you, Hail? You a runaway too?" asked Kid Blink.

"Yeah," she began hesitantly. "My family fell on some hard times, and there wasn't enough money to go around. There was nothing really to stay for, so I hopped the first train I could find to New York. That's where I met Melody." Hail, who had finally accepted the nickname, glanced nervously at Mel to judge her reaction. She looked a little perplexed, probably wondering why her friend had omitted the part about her father being mayor. Melody figured she had a good reason for not wanting to talk about it and instead just shrugged it off.

Hail did indeed have her own reasons for not giving the details of her past. She had hoped that by catching that train out of New Jersey she could leave her past behind and become another anonymous face. Connecting herself to her father's scandal (which had, undoubtedly, helped these newsies sell many a paper) would prevent her from fading into the background and starting anew.

"Jesus Christ!" a yelp came from the next room over.

"Christ is in our washroom?" Racetrack smirked and glanced over to where the voice had emanated from.

"NO!" Dutchy's blond head poked around the corner. "It's clean!" Every guy in the room leapt up and stampeded over to check on this new development. There was silence for a moment before Specs asked what everyone was thinking.

"What the heck happened?"

"We did it," Hail spoke up.

"Yeah it was to pay back Mr. Kloppman for letting us stay here," Melody said, shooting her friend a nasty look. The guys stared at the girls, wide-eyed, then turned back to the washroom in a flurry of disbelief.

"I've never seen it this clean!"

"Hardly smells or anything!"

"So _that's_ what the floor looks like…"

"Noise, noise, noise! What's going on up here? Actually, I don't wanna know. Everyone, lights out," Kloppman had ascended to the bunkroom, bothered by all the shouting. "Don't even give me that look Itey! All of you, get to sleep. You know you'll be tired in the morning and it'll be me that has to drag your sleepy asses out of bed. Now, let's go—lights out in five minutes!"

Kloppman went back downstairs, shaking his head and the newsies began to change for bed. A bit uncomfortable about all the stripping going on, Hail discovered stalls in the washroom where she could change in private. Melody followed suit and soon the girls were climbing into their bunks, like Kloppman had instructed.

**A/N; I just wanted to thank everyone who has reviewed so far. Your comments are what keeps me writing :)**


	9. Chapter 9

"Up! Everybody up! Sell the papers!" Hail awoke at Kloppman's voice. Glancing out the window, she noted the sun was barley up; how could it possibly be time for work already? "Melody, Hail! Outta bed! Stick with Cowboy today, he'll show you what to do." Defeated, Hail forced herself out of bed, grabbed her clothes and headed for the washroom.

Upon arrival she could see how the room had gotten as messy as it had been before she cleaned it. The guys were fooling around, splashing water, and throwing whatever they could get their hands on at each other. Hail hastily dressed in a stall and, as she exited, received a wet rag to the side of the head. She looked up to see who threw it and spotted Kid Blink and Pie Eater laughing hysterically. Not feeling anything was funny this early in the day, Hail hurled the rag back at them, hitting Blink square in the face. Then, she turned on her heel and retreated back to the bunkroom.

"You don't enjoy mornings much, do you?" Melody asked, noting her friend's sour mood.

"I'm starting to think it was a mistake to come here," Hail muttered.

"All right ladies, are yous ready to head out?" Jack asked as he walked over. "Do you have any money?"

"Yeah, what for?" Melody replied.

"Ya hafta buy some papes before you can sell them. Bring twenty cents, if you got it; we'll start off with only a few papers 'til you get the hang of it," Jack instructed. The girls obeyed and rummaged through their belongings to come up with the money. The other newsies had begun to file out around them, so they followed suit with Jack bringing up the rear.

Jack explained the art of selling papers as the group made their way through the streets of Manhattan. Hail listened, but also tried to take in her surroundings so she could find her way back. As Cowboy discussed the importance of making customers feel sorry for you, the newsies came upon a group of nuns passing out bread to the hungry children.

"Ahh breakfast," Jack interrupted what he was saying and stepped forward to accept the nuns' charity. Melody and Hail did the same and thanked the sisters politely.

"Are they always here?" asked Hail when they had continued walking.

"Nah, only once or twice a week, but it's great when they do come. They're some of the only people who actually care what happens to us," he told them.

Before long, the pack of newsies reached their destination.

"This, ladies, is the distribution office," Jack said, leading them up a ramp to a window with iron bars. "And this is Mr. Weasel, the man who sells us our papes and tries to cheat us everyday."

"It's Wiesel, Cowboy! Ugh I don't know why I bother…" the fat, greasy man groaned. "What is this? Yer bringing me girls now?"

"They's our newest additions and they'll be havin' twenty papes each. Here, give Weasel yer money and make sure you count how many you get. The usual for me Weas," Jack instructed.

"Thank you Mr. Wiesel," Hail said courteously as she received her papers.

"Yeah yeah, you got your papers, now keep the line moving," Weasel abruptly hurried her along.

"Don't pay him no mind," said Jack as they left to start selling. "He's nothing but a lousy crook, always trying to stiff us outta papers."

"Why don't they get rid of him?" inquired Melody.

"They fired him once, but the whole system's corrupt and he was back within the month. The newspapers will do anything to make a buck, that's why we went on strike a few months ago," Jack explained.

"Hey I read about that. You were involved in that?" Mel asked Jack.

"Started it," he answered. "But enough talk, we gotta get selling."


	10. Chapter 10

Hawking headlines turned out to be much harder than Hail ever imagined, but it was definitely a step up from the horrible factory work she had endured. Selling papers, she felt much freer. She could wander wherever she wanted, work at her own pace and was in control of how much she earned. By the afternoon, she and Melody had both sold their twenty papers and Jack's total was well into the seventies.

"What say we stop for some lunch?" he suggested. When the girls agreed, Jack led them through town to a nice-looking eatery called Tibby's.

"This used to be a fancier place before the strike," Jack said, ushering them inside. "But there was this reporter named Denton who helped us out during the strike. He treated all the newsies here a few times, and that kinda scared the other customers away. Joe Tibby there-" Jack nodded to a kind-looking, mustached man "-is a great guy though, so he lets us eat here too. We still gotta pay, but you won't find many places that'll let kids like us in their doors." He finished his explanation and found an empty table to sit at. Hail recognized a lot of the newsies from the Lodging House eating around them as they decided what to get. Jack had many recommendations and proceeded to order for Melody and Hail.

"Jack! Great news," Racetrack appeared and slid into a chair next to Melody. "Boy did you goils pick a good time to show up. I just found out that Medda is giving one of her free shows tonight."

"Who's Medda?" Melody looked baffled.

"'Who's Medda?' she asks," sighed Race, shaking his head. "Only the greatest vaudeville star evah to grace the stage!"

"We go way back," Jack grinned importantly. "She decided, after the strike, to give a couple shows especially for the newsies. I guess tonight will be one of 'em."

"You goils are coming, right?" Race asked. Melody agreed, but Hail merely shrugged. "Aw come one! It'll be fun, trust me."

"I guess," she nodded.

"Swell. See you back at the Lodging House Cowboy," and with that, Racetrack departed.

As he left, the food arrived and the trio eagerly dug in. When their appetites were appeased, they paid for their meals and headed back out to the street.

"I still have some more to sell, but we can get yous a couple evening editions to keep practicin' on," Jack decided and they set off, once more, for the distribution center.


	11. Chapter 11

It was dusk as the girls finally finished all of their papers. Jack was done awhile before them so he stayed close by and offered suggestions for improvement. Pleased with their selling day, the group made their way back to the Lodging House.

"How'd it go?" asked Kloppman upon their arrival.

"They did well," Jack spoke for them. "Hey Klop, Medda's havin' a show tonight-"

"Yeah I already heard. Don't worry, I'll let you in even if you're late," the old man smiled. "Every other day, girls, I only let them in before half past ten. After that, you're sleeping on the curb."

Hail and Melody nodded, then observed how Jack signed the ledger and did the same.

"Don't forget," added Kloppman. "You girls have to pay me at the end of the week."

"We'll remember," promised Melody and they headed upstairs. In the bunkroom, the boys were excitedly preparing for that evening's show. Disappointed that she didn't have anything nice to wear, Hail instead focused on her hair. She brushed it out, then pinned it back as best she could. Hail examined herself in the mirror and decided she was satisfied with the results, as was Melody, who appeared over her shoulder in the mirror.

"Looks nice," she said. "But you're not wearing _that_, are you?"

"It's all I've got," Hail admitted, noting that her friend was now wearing a skirt. Mel just looked her up and down for a moment before speaking again.

"Tell ya what," she finally said. "If you can get my hair to look like yours, I've got some extra clothes you can borrow."

"Deal," Hail grinned and set to work on Melody's hair. After taming it and pulling it back into a more lady-like twist, Hail got a skirt to wear and finished getting ready for the night out.

"Gents, look sharp, we got some ladies in our midst," Specs shouted out and Melody punched him playfully.

"Fellas, let's head out!" Jack led the group downstairs and out of the Lodging House into the cool night air. The newsies soon reached a building called Irving Hall. Above the doorway, Hail noticed a large sign reading "Medda Larkson, the Swedish Meadowlark" and depicting a red-haired woman sporting a large, purple feather.

"I guess that's the famous Medda," Hail nudged Mel and pointed. Melody barely had time to glance up before being shuffled inside along with the crowd. The lobby of Irving Hall was much nicer than she expected, but Hail was more distracted by the swarms of kids within it.

"Hey Melody, Hail, there's someone you gotta meet!" Jack grabbed them by the wrists and dragged them further into the crowd. "Girls, this is Spot Conlon, leader of the Brooklyn newsies. Spot meet Melody and Hail, our newest additions."

At first glance, Hail did not see how this slim boy could lead anything, but one look at his piercing gaze quickly convinced her otherwise. Spot smirked before theatrically kissing each girl's hand.

"Charmed, I'm sure," he said sarcastically before turning back to Jack. "I've got to go keep an eye on my boys Cowboy. Try to get good seats on the floor with us." The two boys spit in their hands and shook before parting ways. Hail was slightly disgusted by this and glanced at her friend, but she didn't seem to have noticed. Instead, she was staring after the Brooklyn leader.

"I think we made a mistake," she whispered to Hail. "We should have gotten off the train in Brooklyn instead." Hail only grinned and followed the Manhattan boys into the concert hall.


	12. Chapter 12

Hail soon realized why the newsies enjoyed the vaudeville shows so much. She and Melody had found a table to sit at, along with Specs, Dutchy, Skittery, and Bumlets, and the group ordered a round of sarsaparillas. As the drinks came, the show began.

First, a ventriloquist came out to warm up the crowd, followed by a young lady who sang a few songs. A juggler came out after her, tossing everything from oranges to flaming torches to baseballs, which were stolen by a unicyclist who zoomed across the stage. A male and female duo danced a quick, bright number before the star of the show came onstage. The crowd cheered like mad for Medda, who obviously loved every bit of attention.

"Good evening everyone!" she addressed the audience in a fake Swedish accent and waved her purple feathers that Hail recognized from the billboard. "I hope you all vill like my first number; it goes out to anyone who has lost the one they love."

And with that, Medda began a sappy, though surprisingly enjoyable song about her lovey-dovey baby. Melody and Hail grinned at all the newsies around them, who were apparently enamored with the singer. Medda went through a couple more songs before announcing that she was going to take a quick break. "Get on your feet, and enjoy my vunderful band. I vill be back before you know it!"

As the songstress went backstage, the boys at the table set off to find more drinks. The band struck up a fun song and much of the audience got up to the floor to dance. Hail observed that some of the newsies had escorted girls, probably realizing that they would need a dance partner at some point in the night, and suddenly felt alone and out of place. She turned to Melody to say something about it, but her friend was distracted as Jack and the kid he had introduced them to, Spot, plopped themselves down at the table.

"You goils enjoying yourselves?" Jack asked, grinning at the pair.

"Yeah, it's alright I guess," Hail shrugged ambiguously. She liked the show, but still felt awkward with all of these new guys she had met. Oh well, at least she had Mel.

"Just alright! Hail, you won't find a bettah show in all of New York!" Jack exclaimed.

"Hey toots, come dance with me," Spot ordered, rising from his chair.

"Was that a request?" Melody asked, eyeing the boy as he smirked right back.

"It's whatever you want it to be," he rolled his eyes. "Now are you comin' or not?"

"Alright, alright," Melody laughed and got up to join him, leaving Hail at the table with nothing to do except stare across uncomfortably at Jack. Jack opened his mouth, as if to speak, but another voice cut in.

"Hey, Jack," Hail looked up to see the kid who had thrown the rag at her that morning. "Umm, I think I just saw Sarah in the upper balcony. Just thought you might like the warning."

"Oh jeez!" Jack practically leapt out of his chair to duck behind Kid Blink. "I'll be in the back if anyone needs me." With that he darted off through the crowd, yelling over his shoulder, "Thanks Blink!"

Hail laughed in spite of herself, but a scowl crossed her face again when she looked up to see the boy smiling over her.

"Knew that would get rid of him," he chuckled and sat down next to Hail. "Hey yer not still mad about this morning are ya?" Hail avoided his eyes, and instead watched the crowd dancing next to the stage.

"Look, it was just a joke. That ain't nothing to be mad about is it? And you threw that rag right back, so we're square," he decided. Hail turned back to face him in disbelief.

"Do you honestly think that's how it works?" she asked.

"Boy you really hold a grudge," Blink replied. "And here I am apologizin' for nothing."

"You call that an apology?" Hail was not enjoying this conversation whatsoever.

"At least _I_ tried. Pie Eater didn't even come over here. Don't that count for something?"

"This joik bothering you?" Bumlets had returned and jokingly punched Blink in the arm.

"Nah, we's just talking" Blink said, swatting his friend's arm away.

"Yeah I can see she's enjoying that," Bumlets grinned. "Hayley, you wanna dance with me?"

Pleasantly surprised that he had used her real name, and happy for an excuse to depart from the awkward exchange with Kid Blink, she readily accepted. Bumlets grabbed Hail's hand and pulled her towards the dance floor, where a lively polka was ensuing. Hail had much experience dancing at the galas her father attended in the past, so she had no problem falling right into step. She allowed herself to grin at Bumlets as he whisked her around the floor and giggled as they nearly collided with another couple.

"Hey, watch it!" Spot yelled angrily and Hail looked up to see that he and Mel had been that couple. She glanced back at Bumlets and burst out laughing at the terrified look on his face.

"Spot Conlon ain't no laughing matter," Bumlets cautioned as he steered her to the opposite end of the floor, away from the Brooklyn leader. Despite this warning, Bumlets still smiled back at Hail.

"So what was Blink botherin' you about back there?" Bumlets inquired as the music wound down and a slower, less rowdy song began.

"It was nothing," she replied, looking down at her feet. "It's just that everything here is so different than home."

"Ahh don't worry, we ain't all idiots like Blink," he reassured her.

"No I didn't mean-"

"Hey Bums, you mind if I cut in?"

Well speak of the devil, Hail thought as the one-eyed newsy appeared. Bumlets glanced at Hail for an answer, and she gave a little nod of agreement. Blink received her hand from Bumlets and the latter scooted off the dance floor, no doubt to return to their table.

"Lissen, I think we got off on the wrong foot here," Kid Blink told her.

"I suppose so," Hail said.

"Look if it matters that much to ya, I'm sorry I threw the thing at you this morning. Hell, I wasn't even aiming for you!" he said, as if that justified it. "I had a clear shot at Swifty, but you got in the way. Not that I'm blaming you or anything, but come on, ya hafta admit it was funny."

Hail tried to fight back the urge to look happy, but Blink's wide smile was contagious. He was right, it was pretty ridiculous.

"See? You's grinning too," he noticed, and beamed. "Knew you couldn't stay mad at me forever."

Maybe this Kid isn't so bad after all, Hail thought to herself.


	13. Chapter 13

No sooner had Hail said that than the crowd around them began to cheer and applaud. Medda had returned. In one swift movement, blink released Hail's waist and dashed towards the stage, no doubt to get as close as he possibly could to the singer. Hail was left to force her way through the throng of boys, back to her table. Once there though she discovered that the older boys from the Lodging House had claimed all the seats. Melody appeared at her shoulder, along with Spot, and noticed the same thing.

"So are you just gonna leave us standing here all night?" Melody blurted out.

"What? There's plenty of room for both of yous," the one Hail recognized as Snoddy patted his lap, causing the other boys at the table to snicker. Spot, however, was not amused.

"It's rude to sit in the presence of ladies. I don't take kindly to rudeness," Spot glared. The others took the hint and leapt from the chairs as though they'd been sitting on hot coals. Laughing, the girls settled into the seat s that had been so graciously cleared for them.

"Catch ya later toots," Spot winked at Melody and nodded to Hail. "My boys always get outta here early from these things; we've got a bit of a walk back to Brooklyn. As he said this, several burly Brooklyn boys sauntered over to their table to follow Spot out. Melody was silent as she watched them go, a dreamy grin playing about her lips. Hail smiled and shook her head; maybe Mel should have gotten off in Brooklyn after all.

The show wrapped up not too long after Spot's departure, and the Manhattan newsies quickly congregated before heading out into the night. Rather than looking worn out, as Hail now felt, the boys appeared to be at the peak of their energy and broke into a rowdy rendition of Medda's closing number "High Times, Hard Times" as they walked down the street. Every so often a resident of the houses they passed would yell out their windows at them to shut up, but this only caused them to sing louder. Bumlets offered his jacket to Hail as she shivered against the breeze that whipped across the cobblestones and she hastily accepted. Slipping it across her shoulders, Hail noticed that Melody had already managed to sweet talk her way into Mush's coat. She didn't know her well enough, but Hail got the impression that Mel could probably sweet talk her way into _any_ article of _any_ man's clothes.

"I had a tough time following you out there on the dance floor," Bumlets grinned. "Where's you learn to dance like that?"

Hail's pulse quickened a bit; how was she going to explain that one away? Ballroom dancing generally wasn't a pastime for kids from impoverished families.

"Oh, that wasn't anything," she tried to just brush it off, but he persisted.

"No, you were great! It was like you'd done it for years," he went on.

"Well, I um-" but Hail's stammering was cut off as Skittery and Kid Blink tumbled into them, falling to the ground. Hail tried to regain her balance, but her skirt had become twisted sending her down as well, right on top of Blink.

"Well isn't this a cozy little predicament?" Kid Blink flashed his annoying smile up at her. Bumlets hoisted her back to her feet and she dusted herself off, glowering at Blink. It seemed that he and Skittery had abandoned singing and were, instead, waltzing around the pavement where Hail was unfortunately standing.

"Looks like someone isn't speaking to me again," Kid Blink chuckled as Skittery grabbed his arm to whisk him around the street again. Hail rolled her eyes and continued walking with Bumlets.

"He really isn't a bad guy, Kid. A little scatterbrained, but he doesn't mean any of it," he started to reassure her, but Hail was grinning. It was hard not to laugh at the moron and even harder to be mad at him.

**A/N: I apologize for the long gaps between updates, but thanks for reading! And major thanks to all my lovely reviewers (especially Greenberry Hair Bonner!) you guys are awesome :D**


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